The major pentatonic scale on the guitar in the key of E
The Major Pentatonic scale is a five-note scale that is widely used in various genres, including country, folk, and pop. It has a bright, happy, and uplifting sound that is both simple and pleasing to the ear. This scale is often the first one musicians learn due to its straightforward structure and versatility.
Musicians use the Major Pentatonic scale to create melodies and solos that are both catchy and memorable. It's particularly effective in conveying a sense of joy and optimism, making it a popular choice for upbeat and celebratory pieces. This scale is a favorite among guitarists and other instrumentalists looking to add a bright and cheerful touch to their playing.
Harmonically, the Major Pentatonic scale allows for the creation of chords and progressions that have a distinctive and pleasing sound. These progressions are often used in country and folk music to create a sense of movement and harmony. Whether you're playing a simple folk song or a catchy pop tune, the Major Pentatonic scale is an essential tool for any musician.
Switch between chromatic/diatonic/notes below to see/learn the relations between them. For convenience, the root note (E) is highlighted in red.
The major pentatonic scale explained for guitar players
Once you learned about Intervals you are ready to learn the scales. Scales are a selection of the 12 notes from the "chromatic" scale (which is just a fancy name for all the 12 notes). Scales are constructed with stepped intervals.
The relative steps of the major pentatonic scale are: w-w-wh-w-wh (w=whole step, h=half step, w=whole and half step).
Let's explore how that exactly works:
major pentatonic scale in chromatic intervals
To explain the the major pentatonic scale best, take a look at the piano. Especially to the highlighted notes. Those are the notes in the major pentatonic scale. Here is how it looks on piano:
Notice the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
major pentatonic scale in diatonic intervals
If we would re-number the red highlighted notes from previous section, we get the major pentatonic scale , which looks like this on piano:
Notice again the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
Musical step names
The steps (also known as conjunct motion) of a diatonic scale are known by these names:- 1st – Tonic (key or root note)
- 2nd – Supertonic
- 3rd – Mediant
- 4th – Subdominant
- 5th – Dominant
- 6th – Submediant
- 7th – Leading tone
- 8th – Tonic (Octave)
What is the scale degree of major pentatonic scale?
The scale degree tells how the scale is transformed.
The relative steps of the major pentatonic scale are: w-w-wh-w-wh
There are no flats or sharps in this scale. If you scroll back to the piano above, you'll notice the white keys correspond to this.
What does diatonic mean?
The term "diatonic" refers to a scale that uses a mix of whole steps and half steps. When we say "diatonic," we mean notes that belong to the scale. For example, if you're playing in the key of E major and using E major notes, those notes are diatonic.
In the piano example above, you saw that only the notes from the scale are used. This means they only include notes "of the scale." Knowing about diatonic notes is important for understanding music theory and making melodies that sound good.
Using diatonic notes helps musicians keep their music in key, making it sound smooth and pleasant. Understanding diatonic notes will improve your musical skills and creativity.
| Scale name | Interval | Degree | Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major scale | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-w-h-w-w-w-h |
| Minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7 | w-h-w-w-h-w-w |
| Melodic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-h-w-w-w-w-h |
| Harmonic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7 | w-h-w-w-h-wh-h |
| Minor blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Major blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Minor pentatonic scale | 1, 4, 6, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-w-wh-w |
| Major pentatonic scale | 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | w-w-wh-w-wh |
| Overview of more scales | |||
- Musical Scale Degree
- ♭=half step down, ♯=half step up, ♯♯=whole step up
- Musical Steps
- w=whole step, h=half step, wh=whole and half step
As you might notice, the scales have 7 notes, except for the blues and pentatonic scales.